Ariana Grande Just Won Her First Grammy

Ariana Grande just won her very first Grammy award for best pop vocal album for her fourth studio album, Sweetener. The album, released in 2018, featured the hit singles “No Tears Left to Cry” and “God Is a Woman” and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with Grande’s highest first week numbers ever.

This triumph comes only three days after Grande called out Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich on Twitter for “lying about” her to the Associated Press.

Originally scheduled to perform during Sunday’s telecast, Grande pulled out at the last minute. While Ehrlich told AP that Grande felt it was “too late” to pull something together, Grande said that it was about her creativity being stifled, not her ability to perform. “It was when my creativity & self expression was stifled by you, that i decided not to attend. I hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more,” she tweeted.

Grande also spoke about the Grammys on the Zach Sang Show, a live radio show, and downplayed the relevance of the award to an artist’s staying power.

“At home, as a viewer watching the Grammys, I’m always like, ‘What!?’ Literally every year, I’m like, ‘What the fuck!?’” she says during the clip. “I always am rooting for my favorite albums and I know that people at home feel the same way. And I know that one day when I win a Grammy people are going to be like, ‘Man, fuck that album and her and her ponytail.’ So it’s fine, I don’t think it makes or breaks anything. There is music that feels good to people and there’s music that doesn’t. I think that it’s very nice to be honored by the recording academy, but I think that it’s something that I don’t want to become too important to me.”

Shortly after her win, Grande tweeted out a series of emotional statements.

“i know i’m not there tonight (trust, i tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh) and i know i said i try not to put too much weight into these things .... but fuck ....... this is wild and beautiful. thank you so much,” she tweeted.

i know i’m not there tonight (trust, i tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh) and i know i said i try not to put too much weight into these things .... but fuck ....... this is wild and beautiful. thank you so much.

Prior to Sweetener’s nomination and win, Grande had five Grammy nominations, two in the best pop vocal album category for her albums My Everything and Dangerous Woman, two for best pop solo performance for “Dangerous Woman” and “God Is a Woman” and one for best pop duo/group performance for “Bang Bang” alongside Jessie J and Nicki Minaj.

Grande released her fifth studio album, thank u, next, on Friday, only six months after the release of Sweetener.